The survey gathered the music festival perspectives of 1,000 18-35 year-olds, with 89 per cent flagging multiple reasons they were put off attending festivals.
The research was commissioned by Stage and Screen, Flight Centre Travel Group’s specialist travel arm for the sports, entertainment and creative industries.
Thirty-one per cent of respondents said they now preferred headline acts in city stadiums over festivals in regional areas, where attendance costs can add up, the logistics of attendance can be complex and bad weather can turn things into a mud bath, as happened a few years ago at Splendour in the Grass.
Two thirds of respondents said festival ticket prices were a major deterrent, while the logistics of festival locations and the festival atmosphere dampened festival desire for 35 per cent of respondents.
More than half of women surveyed cited safety concerns at festivals as a reason not to go, while 33 per cent of all of those surveyed didn’t want to deal with the possibility of inclement weather at a festival.
“Price, convenience and comfort are clearly steering fans towards headline acts in city stadiums, but our figures show that ‘FOMO’ is another factor,” said Stage and Screen general manager Adam Moon.
“Major international artists only come to Australia every few years…[f]estivals, however, are typically held every year.
“This is proving to be a costly shift for festivals, with a recent report showing only half of the nation’s festivals are now profitable.
“But the statistics don’t necessarily signal the last dying breaths of the multi-day music event, but rather a chance for festival organisers to evolve.
“Providing more shelter, reducing ticket costs, ensuring safety and an inclusive atmosphere could breathe life back into this beloved Australian pastime.
“Perhaps now is the time to rekindle the flame of our homegrown talent and revisit the power of grassroots music.
“We’re a big believer of supporting artists of all stripes at Stage and Screen and we’re passionate about nurturing the very soul of Australian music.”
Festival cancellations this year have included one of Australia’s trendiest events, Splendour in the Grass, and festival series Groovin the Moo. Both were cancelled soon after their tickets went on sale.
Meanwhile Taylor Swift’s seven-date Australian visit in February went well beyond sold out, with people trying for hours to purchase tickets, only to miss out.
Arts festivals are also feeling the bite, especially in Tasmania, with Mona’s summer festival, Mona Foma, cancelled permanently earlier this year and its winter festival, Dark Mofo paused for 2024.
